Based out of Fayetteville, Georgia, Mark Cruver is the founder and president of Capstone Educational Consultants, LLC. In that capacity, Mark Cruver advises parents and students about applying to colleges and what colleges look for in candidates.

A stressful experience for many young people, applying for college admission requires students to consider their entire lives. However, most universities look at the same factors when deciding whether to accept an applicant. They review the individual’s high school curriculum with a focus on the types of courses the student has taken. Core courses, such as English, math, and foreign languages hold greater weight than electives. Furthermore, admissions officials tend to prefer slightly lower grades in these courses than higher grades in other classes.

Students should also be involved in endeavors beyond academics. Extracurricular activities at school show students’ interests, willingness to exert themselves, and abilities beyond grades in important ways. Moreover, using summer vacation for employment or to assist nonprofit organizations also shines positively on applicants. Notably, many colleges prefer students with in-depth participation in relatively fewer activities than those active in many organizations or projects with little focus.